"In 2003, Germany moved from a system in which participants in training programs for the unemployed are assigned by caseworkers to an allocation system using vouchers. Based on the rich administrative data for all vouchers and on actual program participation, we provide inverse probability...

"A major unemployment and welfare benefit reform took place in Germany in 2005. One objective of this reform was to more strongly encourage an adult worker model of the family, with an emphasis on activating the formerly inactive. Our hypothesis is, however, that assignments to activation...

"A considerable number of people, particularly the older unemployed, exhibit a variety of barriers to placement. Integrating them into employment constitutes a challenge for labor market policy. The current research report presents the results of a program aimed at older persons receiving...

"In this paper we show that firm characteristics have an influence on the success of employment subsidies e.g. wage subsidies and in-work benefits, as they can strengthen positive effects or mitigate negative effects. We consider firm characteristics as post treatment variables, which are...

"This paper focuses on the question of whether improving the competence of new business founders by means of coaching and training programs enhances the duration of self-employment. In our analysis we focus on support activities that are provided in addition to a financial subsidy and which...

"Using administrative linked employer-employee data from Germany, this paper analyses the real wage growth and career patterns of full-time employed low-wage workers between 2001 and 2006. Multivariate models accounting for sample selection demonstrate the relevance of individual characteristics...

"This article examines if occupations contribute to social closure by their structural characteristics. For this purpose the four structural indicators occupational specificity, standardization by training regulation, voluntary certification by private educ-tional providers and representation by...

"The so-called 'One-Euro-Jobs' are an important workfare program for unemployed persons receiving benefits according to Germany's Social Code II ('Sozialgesetzbuch Zweites Buch'), aiming at needy benefit recipients who can not be integrated into regular employment by means of other active labor...

"Since February 2006, self-employed, workers abroad and caregivers have the opportunity to voluntarily insure themselves against unemployment (Voluntary Public Unemployment Insurance). This scheme was initially scheduled to end in 2010. In 2011, the possibility of voluntary insurance was...

"The pilot project 'Berliner Joboffensive' (BJO) aimed at increasing the number of labor market integrations of individuals receiving means-tested unemployment benefits II (also known as Hartz IV) by intensified counseling and assistance. To this end, the caseload of 650 caseworkers in twelve...